R. primula has big buds here. Usually it starts blooming May 1st, but it will take some majorly cold weather to put it back that far.

80 yesterday 50 or so for the next few days with lows below freezing. I really hope that our precious roses manage to handle these big swings!

Hey olga, you beat me and I'm in zone 7. I should have a bloom anyday now.

I love this time of year when everything is fresh and new, before the months and months of heat make everything look bad. I am excited every day to go out and see what rose may have popped open a bloom!

Lynn

I'm excited because I have the very first and few leaves on some of the hardier roses like John Davis, William Baffin and Polarstarjnan. Long way away from seeing bloom buds here.

Ahhhh you guys really don't want to hear about the bloom in my area!!!!!! The Heriage in San Jose is popping out all over.

Nice to hear about your first blooms Olga! Things won't happn here until late May or June.

Jim and Modern man, it is not my zone, it is the roses I grow. Mad Gallica is in zone 5 and she will have blooms soon.
Early yellows are the way to go to expand your rose seazon by 5-6 weeks. The main wave will not happen here until late May too. But I have oriental yellows now and in couple weeks spinosissimas will bloom. This way I have something blooming from April till frost. Both early yellows and spinossisimas should be hardy for both of you too :)

My

Ugh, did not realize that the early yellows bloom that early. o.O

I guess that's something to contemplate about before the next ordering season. It might be just the right plant to keep a company to my kerria. :D

Olga, were all of your roses kept outdoors during the winter? To me this can also make a big difference for a zone 5/6. My potted Fragrant Cloud Tree rose has already set out blossom buds, but I'm not all that excited. I am expecting the blooms to be very small because in our colder zones, there just wasn't enough days of sunshine, and big flowered hybrid teas really need a lot of direct sunlight to produce the appropriate sized blooms in zone 5/6. Another guess is that singles are able to produce blooms the fastest and the soonest as well?

Of course they were all outdoors. Primula is 10 feet high and 8 feet wide :)
Early oriental yellows are known ro be the first to bloom, you don't need to look for any explanation. it is in their genes, blooms formed almost at the same time as leaves.
Olga

The Burnet Double White and Harrisons yellow is still weeks away, just starting to leaf out.. Hansa will probable be my first as it was last year, Its a grafted one closer to the house, that must benefit from the extra heat or something.. My NON orpheline de juliet from pickering, whatever it is, though to me its very gorgeous, disease free , is starting to really leaf out as well. But it was a full 2 weeks ahead of my albas last year.

Lots of damage on my austins this year from lack of snow cover.. I had almost none last year on crocus rose and tons this year.. ditto with vicks caprice, a variety I got because I thought it would be hardier than your normal HP, doesnt appear to be that way for me =(.. Fruhlingsduft was hardy to the tips though.. and starting to leaf out. As is quarda and prarie joy..

This is my third year of the test with Madame Sancy De Parabree as well and it appears that though I lose 6-8 inches of cane, enough will have survived to put on a blush of roses, will see, if it doesnt, its going southward to someone, I expect even a cool zone 6a would do better with it. I love the softness of its loose flowers and its mild scented rose odor.. its also has a lovely medium green that leaf that is refreshing to boot. Im hoping it stays.

I keep hoping pickering ships soon, I could plant at any point now.. Some years I still would be seeing last snow melt this time of year.. What a refreshing amount of real spring we have had.. even these seasonable temps are ok by me.. 50 is grand!

Im seeing yards bursting with magnolias and spring bulbs!

Silverkelt

Horray! My rosa Primula opened today, and Catanborgensis is close, probably tomorrow! I love this time of year.

My canary bird appears about ready to bloom. And I think this is the best time of year to enjoy the foliage on the roses, with the various shadings of red & green (some bluish) - each season offers something (possibly excepting Summer).
Count me as another who couldn't wait on the rose planting, expedited to next week; Pat Henry must be a saint, dealing with the likes of me, times hundreds.

Golden Showers and Comtessa du Cayla are competing for the first bloom both have an almost open bud. I think the cooler weather today held them back.

I think this is going to be a great spring. First year in the past 4 that we did not have a late freeze. It's going into the 30's tonight, but nothing bad.

We're a tad behind here. The weather has been so cold and rainy. But we've had a slight break this week and things are beginning to pop. I have two irises that opened yesterday, and two roses too. But tons of buds everywhere. By next week (hopefully) a lot more will be popping out. Only problem is, we're supposed to get some more days now of cold and rain again!! I'm so sick of it!

Olga, I have many buds ready to open. I'm most excited to see my new rugosas and mosses from Pickering planted last year.
Hope to see some of your gorgeous rose pictures!

Carla

Golden Showers won. The Comtessa is doing a slow strip tease and is taking her time revealing. While golden showers burst open. Reve d'Or is ready to burst with lots of buds.